Device for



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. T. WHITTLESEY. DEVICE FOR APPLYING A COATING TO ELEUTRIG OONDUGI'ORS.

No. 439,916. Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

INVENTOR Jimes I: l/Vhi'ttQese- I BYHL: A'FrorzlvEY 4 W61 J I WITNESSES n (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. WHITTLESEY. DEVIGE FOR APPLYING A COATING T0 ELECTRIC GON'DUOTORS.

No. 439,916. Patelited Nov. 4, 1890.

INVENTOR WITNESSES m J zmes IZT'WAv'i--Yese7 BY ms AT I UNITED STATES JAMES THOMAS WI-IITTLESEY,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

DEVICE FOR APPLYING A COATING TO ELECTRIC CCNDUCTORS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,916, dated November 4, 1890.

Application filed December 20, 1889. Serial No. 334,,370. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES THOMAS WHIT- TLESEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Applying a Coating to Electric Conductors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electricity, and its object is to afford a simple and efiective means for applying to an electric conductor a coating of moisture-repellent substance such as oil, grease, Vaseline, tallow, soap, glycerine, or any suitable mixture, liquid or solid for the purpose of preventing the adhesion of snow or sleet to the conductor or the formation thereon of an icy coating. While applicable to conductors of any kind, it is especially valuable in the case of overhead electric railways, in which it is desirable to main tain a good electrical contact between the conductor and the traveling contact device. It is found that the slight warmth of the conductor, due to the electric current passing through it, tends to partially melt the snow or sleet falling upon it, which causes the formation of a coating of ice, or ice and snow, that not only seriously interferes with the working of the line, but endangers the safety of the conductor, which is greatly strained and liable to break by the weight of the accumulated ice and snow. By covering the conductor with a greasy or other moisturerepellent substance, the snow cannot stick to the wire, and the troubles incident to its adhesion are obviated.

Myinvention consists in suitable means for applying the moisture-repelling substance to the conductor, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of one mode of carrying outmy invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation,partly in section. Fig.3 is a cross-section of a modification, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show further modi fications.

The drawings illustrate the invention applied to the trolley-pole of a car on an overhead electric railway. The journals a of the trolley A project slightly outside of the fork B, in which the trolley is mounted. On these projecting ends rest the arms of the frame 0, which extends to a suitable distance before and behind the trolley. The frame is made of metal, preferably heavy sheet iron or steel, but is flexible enough to permit the arms to be spread apart when they are to be slipped over the journals a. The front ends of the arms are bent toward each other and united by any suitable fastening-such as a thumbscrew cpassing through ears 0'.

The rear ends of the frame support a pan D or other receptacle, firmly secured to the frame, and of such a capacity as to hold a considerable supply of the moisture-repelling substance. The receptacle may be of any convenient shape and attached to the frame in any suitable manner. I have shown in Figs. 1 and 5 a pan having a curved bottom and riveted to the arms of the frame, which in Figs. 1 and 2 extend along its sides at their upper edges. Inside the pan. are secured two bearings d, in which is journaled the shaft e of the wheel E, which projects above the upper edge of the pan so as to come in contact with the overhead conductor F. The wheel is held yieldingly against the conductor by a spring G, attached to the frame 0 in front of the journals to, preferably at the ears 0', and connected with the trolley-pole, preferably near the crotch of the fork B. The spring may be provided with any of the ,wellknown means for regulating its tension, and thearmsof theframe are provided withstopssuch as the lugs c -adapted to come in contact with the trolley-pole and limit the upward movement of the wheel E. The panD is thus kept close to the wire F, although 'the inclination of the trolley-pole may vary considerably. The wheel E is adapted to take up the. moisture-repellent substance from the receptacle. and spread it upon the conductor F. It may be made of wood, hard rubber, or any other suitable material, and is preferably grooved, as shown. It may be covered with thick felt H or other absorbent material, or it may be studded with bristles or wires 1, or constructed in any way that will best enable it to carry up and smear upon the wire the contents of the pan. In case a semi-liquid substance is used for coating, the conductor and endless belt or chain K may be passed over the wheel to assist in carrying up the grease.

To evenly distribute themoisture-repelling substance and to remove the surplus, I pro vide a scraper-or wiper L, located behind the wheel E and pressing against the conductor. The wiper consists, preferably, of a piece of felt, notched to embrace the wire, and supported by its lower edge, preferably by means of a spring-clamp M, attached to the pan D.

A suitable guard is provided to prevent the contents of the receptacle from jolting out. I prefer to use two lids N, hinged tothe edges of the pan and suitablynotched to fit around the wheel E and wiper L. The lids may be slightly dished, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, in order that drippings-from the wheel 1 and wiper may'drain into the pan through the opening in which the wheel runs. It is evident that a single lid suitably slotted may be used instead of the two shown. In case it 'is desired to apply the moisture-repelling substance to the top of. thejconductor, as wellas to the bottom and sides, a pair of wheels E may be mounted on either'side of the pan in the rear of the wheel E, arranged to distribute the grease-all over the conductor. I pre-, for to use brush-wheels for this purpose, 'and to mount them horizontally in U-shaped frames 0, fastened upon the lids N, though they may be otherwise arranged. Their mode of action is clearly shown in Fig. 3. In case the moisture-repelling substance is insolid' form-such as a bar P oftallow, soap, or the like'it can be held in a receptacle D, provided with a spring-actuated followerd to keep it in contact with the wire F. The flanges d prevent the bar from being forced.

out of the receptacle when the device is removed from the wire, and yet the wire can readily enter and leave the flaring upper endof the receptacle. Since the front and back of the receptacle are open, the wire can rub across the whole width'of the end of the bar and so wear it away with little, if any, waste. It is evidentthat my device may be mounted upon a special pole, instead of upon the trolley-pole, and that when so mounted it may be carried either by the car or in the hands of a person riding on the car or walking along theline. When it is not convenient to pivot the ends of the frame upon the journals of the trolley, it can be pivoted upon a collar R, secured upon the trolley-pole and provided with a shoulder 7*, against which may abut the stop con the frame. In this case the two arms of the frame may be consolidated into a single arm, as shown in Fig. 5, which f forks at the top to receive the receptacle D.

The modification shown in Fig. 6 consists of a pair of swabs E composed of wicking or the like, the lower ends of which dip into the oil in the pan D. The upper ends ofthe to move along the line of an electric railway,

wicks are pressed against the conductor F, preferably by springs S, which may be armed with spurs s to enter and hold the wicking. 7c The oil will be raised automatically by capillary attractionand applied to the conductor. When the wicks become badly worn, they can be pulled up and the useless portion trimmed off. Any number of them may be employed, singlyorin pairs, and a wiper L will be found usefulin connection with them.

With slight modifications-my invention can be applied -to conductors, with which the trolley makes a top contact, traveling above instead of below the wire.

The operation of my invention will -be clearly understood from the drawings and the above description, and needs no further explanation.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim,and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. The combination, with an electric car, of an apparatus moving therewith for applying go a coating of moisture-repellent substance to the electric conductor, comprising a mechanically-operated self-feeding device adapted to move in'contact with the conductor, substantially as described. p 5

2. The combination, with a vehicle adapted to move along the line of an electric railway, of an apparatus carried by said vehicle for coating the electric conductor with a moisture-repellent substance, consisting of a reroe ceptacle for said substance containing de vices for applying it to the conductor, substantially as described.

- 3. The combination, with a vehicle adapted 10 of an apparatus carried by said vehicle for s applying to the electric conductor a moisture repellent substanee, consisting of a receptacle for said substance containing means for automatically raising it into contact with the 1 1o conductor, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a pole,; of a receptable yieldingly mounted thereon and containing means for automatically applying to an electric-railway conductor a moisture-repellent coating, substantially as described.-

' 5. The combination, with a pole, of an arm pivoted thereon, a spring supporting the arm yieldingly in relation'to the pole, and a receptacle carried by the arm and containing 120 means for applying a moisture-repellent substance to an electric-railway conductor, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with-a pole, of a frame pivoted thereon, a spring supporting the frame 1 25 yieldingly, a stop to limit the movement of the frame with-relation to the pole, and a receptacle .carried by said frame and containing means for applying a moisture-repellent substance to an electric-railway conductor, sub- 1 o stantially as described.

7. The combination, with the trolley mechanism of an electric car, of a receptacle car-- ried thereby and containing means for autow matieally applying the contents of the recep tacle to the electric conductor, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with the trolley-pole of an electric-railway car, of a receptacle for a moisture-repellent substance mounted thereon and a wheel arranged to revolve in said receptacle, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a trolley-pole, of a frame 0, pivoted thereon, a receptacle D, supported by said frame, and a wheel mounted to revolve in said receptacle, substantially as described.

10. The combination, with the trolley-pole x 5 of an electric-railway car, of the receptacle D, having a wheel mounted therein, and a wiper supported in the rear of the wheel, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the trolley-pole of an electric-railway car, of the receptacle D, having a wheel mounted therein and covered with a material adapted to take up the contents of the receptacle, and a wiper supported yieldingly in the rear of the wheel, substan- 2 5 tially as described.

12. The combination, with the receptacle D, of a wheel mounted therein and a cover through which said wheel projects, substantially as described.

13. The combination, with the receptacle D, of a wheel and a wiper mounted therein, and a twopart lid N, hinged to the edges of the receptacle, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the receptacle D,

of a wheel E, mounted therein, and horizontal 3 5 wheels E, mounted in the rear of the wheel E and arranged to impinge on opposite sides of an electric conductor, substantially as described.

15. The combination, with the receptacle D, 40 of a wheel E, mounted therein, two lids N, hinged to the receptacle, and a horizontal wheel E, mounted on each lid in the rear of the wheel E, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES THOMAS WHITTLESEY.

Witnesses:

. WM. D. POOL,

M. E. HOGARTY. 

